Established in 1995, Intimo has built an enviable reputation as one of the leading lingerie brands across Australia and New Zealand.

Business Problem

Recognising the need to operate an efficient supply chain and the importance of accuracy in its direct to home product delivery processes, Intimo recently turned to VoiceID to discuss the use of Honeywell solutions for their picking process.

Established in 1995, Intimo has built an enviable reputation as one of the leading lingerie brands across Australia and New Zealand. Today, Intimo is known for reflecting the modern woman’s aspiration for quality, style, and function. To supply its wide range of customers across Australia and New Zealand with quality, supportive and wearable lingerie, Intimo operates a streamlined direct-to-customer distribution model out of a centralised distribution centre in Port Melbourne.

Although Intimo as a business has rapidly grown its operations over recent years, the actual product picking processes within its distribution centre still relied on inefficient paper-based systems that were open to errors and were labor-intensive and time-consuming. Recognising the need to operate an efficient supply chain and the importance of accuracy in its direct to home product delivery processes, Intimo recently turned to VoiceID to discuss the use of Honeywell solutions for their picking process.

"Using the new voice picking solution, our workers can operate with more efficiency as they do not have to look down at reports, or written location notes.The hands-free, eyes-free aspect of the Honeywell solution not only increases the speed in which items are picked but also makes the workers muchmore aware of their environment. It allows them to anticipate the actions of others for increased safety in the warehouse." - Kel West, Director, Intimo Lingerie

Upgrade the current manual system of warehouse management to a more powerful automated solution that delivers more accuracy and reliability.

A fast, easy-to-use, and scalable solution that grows with the changing needs of the facility.

The Solution

“To demonstrate the benefits of using Honeywell for picking in a real-world scenario for Intimo, VoiceID implemented a Proof of Concept (POC) process. VoiceID’s POC method has been developed to allow companies with little investment, to have a demonstrable look at how the voice process would improve their business,” said Paul Phillips, Senior Business Consultant at VoiceID.

For Intimo, the entire VoiceID POC process took four hours to complete and involved two different employees being trained and filmed completing hands-free and paper picks for review. The POC process highlighted a potential productivity increase by 50 percent over the existing process. As a result, Intimo elected to proceed with a voice deployment paired with hands-free scanning.

To enhance its stock management processes and increase warehouse efficiency, Intimo implemented an advanced order picking and distribution system. Under it, the Manhattan Associates SCALE WMS first records the orders and then batches them for picking. Orders are picked using the Honeywell A710 Talkman, SRX2 Headset, and 8670 Bluetooth Ring Scanner. Receipts, putaways, replenishments, and stock management are all handled by the Honeywell CK3X rugged hand-held computer.

With the VoiceID and Honeywell solution on the warehouse floor, a worker is provided a number of separate orders. The Talkman gives verbal prompts which directs the workers to the correct picking location. The location is confirmed by the use of a check digit upon arrival – removing any confusion about the location. The voice system then prompts the workers on how many items to pick and scan. The employee repeats the quantity to the system after which the system directs them to put the pieces in the correct customer order.

The Benefits

With a rise of 30% in productivity, Intimo has seen a significant improvement in the allocation of resources and accuracy at its facility since the introduction of the new system.

The ability to track its stock movement in real time and accurately direct workers to the most efficient ways to pick orders improves workflows and significantly enhances Intimo’s delivery processes and supply chain practices.

Pickers can now pick up to 24 orders at once, compared to six under the previous paper-based system, helping improve warehouse efficiency and leaving resources free to be allocated to other parts of the business.